Google Presents PowerPoint Alternative

You’ll see something different when clicking New in Google Docs. The option to create a presentation with Google’s online suite has been on the radar since Google disclosed it in April 2007, confirming an earlier rumor about it posted to Google Operating System.

People have the option of creating new presentations with the slide editor in Google Docs. The technology comes from a blend of companies Google acquired for their slide-based innovations.

As noted on the official Google blog, presentations and collaboration go hand in hand with this new product:

When it’s time to present, participants can simply click a link to follow along as the presenter takes the audience through the slideshow. Participants are connected through Google Talk and can chat about the presentation as they’re watching.

The debut of presentations gives Google another point on which they and Capgemini can compete with Microsoft for certain segments of enterprise workers. Google’s deal with Capgemini gives it access to a lot of people working for units managed by the IT outsourcer.

Matt Cutts pointed out a discovery he and others discovered while chatting about Nathan Weinberg’s experiments with the new presentation software.

“We figured out that you can embed a presentation on a web page using an iframe,” said Matt. “I have no idea what the security implications are, so don

This permits the mapper to select a point to pass through on the way from A to B. Someone going from a subway stop to a museum may want to pass by a certain coffee shop that isn’t directly on the way, for example.

Ask City lets the visitor adjust the directions to include that new stop. A hyperlink to “Adjust Route” appears at the bottom of each step of the directions, for access to this feature.

The bigger update follows a similar, recent move by Google to provide embeddable maps. Site and blog publishers who want to highlight some location, and relevant places within that area, can make a map on Ask City to bring to their sites.

This feature is an evolution from Ask’s earlier debut of the “search inside” feature of Ask City, according to Gary. It gives the mapmaker/site publisher the ability to present the map to visitors, rather than just a link to the map.

More importantly, embeddable mapping demonstrates in vivid fashion that not all the nifty features in search come from Google’s Mountain View labs. Google may be the most familiar search site in the world, but searchers should give the Asks, Yahoos, and even Microsofts a try. They might be pleasantly surprised by what they find.

Granted, I’d consider myself a bit of a doofus if I misjudged things that badly, but it could still be nice to know the exact distance of a custom-made trail.  Now, as Google’s Keith Golden posted on the Google LatLong Blog, “Whenever you draw a line, you’ll see the current distance as you move the mouse and add new points.  The distance is also displayed in the info window when you click on your completed line.”

This feature is already getting attention from some outdoor enthusiasts; sources such as Free Geography Tools and Team Geared Up have taken (positive) note of it.  Complaints are relatively minor – the feature has not yet been introduced in Google Earth, and it’s also limited to expressing distances in miles.

On the whole, it’s a welcome addition, and one of many, really, which have been made to Google Maps in the recent past – the ability to embed was established less than a month ago, and not so long before that came the introduction of drag-and-drop features.

So go, hike, and rest easy in the knowledge that you can get by with a canteen and a granola bar or two.

Mary Jo Foley has heard from some Vista testers that the next private build, 5506, will contain links in the Welcome Screen to Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Toolbar and Windows Live Mail Desktop, as well as including Windows Live Messenger in the Start Menu.

Bink has a screenshot.

Wow, I guess Microsoft figured it had finished most of the old antitrust lawsuits, so why not give Google a chance? Sergey Brin and Larry Page can rest easy that, even if their companies loses to Microsoft, they can probably pull in at least half a billion in a lawsuit.

But seriously, Microsoft needs to tread carefully. Bundling software in the operating system has been hurting them badly for years (and is arguably the single mistake the company made that is responsible for its current stagnation) and almost split up the company. I know Microsoft wants so badly to beat Google, but they are already doing a good job of developing services, so just be careful how you promote them.

In the case of Live Messenger, this is really unnecessary. Live Messenger is the successor to MSN Messenger, the number one worldwide IM client. Microsoft doesn’t need to push this as much as it needs to push everyone to upgrade.

As for Live Mail Desktop, it is a superset of Windows Mail, the mail client in Windows Vista. Instead of taking any chances, why not embed most of the Live Mail Desktop features in Windows Mail? Better yet, why not have the account setup dialog in Windows Mail say “Need to use Mail with a Hotmail/Live Mail account? Click here to download an updated version called Windows Live Mail Desktop”?

Finally, for Windows OneCare: I’ve said this before; Vista should annoy users who don’t have antivirus. Every time the computer boots, and every day at 12 noon, the OS should fill the entire screen with a warning against the dangers of not having antivirus. Merely by expanding the market, Microsoft will make a ton of money, especially with its low-priced offering.

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Nathan Weinberg writes the popular InsideGoogle blog, offering the latest news and insights about Google and search engines.

Visit the InsideGoogle blog.

After installing the Y!Q DemoBar, users will be able to search topics on the fly by simply highlighting and clicking the toolbar’s Related Search button. Users are then to taken to a Yahoo SERP containing results relevant to the highlighted words.

Not only can web surfers use Y!Q, but Yahoo also designed the utility so that it can be imbedded into personal and professional web sites. According to Yahoo:

Y!Q helps improve the “stickiness” of your site by providing related search results directly within your site web pages. Just embed Y!Q tags into your web pages and you empower your users to learn more about your content without leaving your site. Their search results will be directly related to whatever topic you specify and the results will be overlaid directly onto your pages.

A quick peek at the company’s blog site reveals the motivation behind Y!Q. Yahoo’s contextual search tool can also be used in Firefox with a little tweaking. Wisely, Yahoo does provide instructions on how to incorporate Y!Q into Firefox.

Y!Q is a free utility and is supposedly Mac compatible, according to John Battelle. But, the Y!Q site makes no mention of using the tool on an Apple machine. In fact, the download disclaimer says: Requires Microsoft Windows 95 and up; Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and up

Clarification: Y!Q works with Mac by integrating it through Firefox. Thanks to Ben Rowland for the heads up.

Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest search news.